Hana Ma'alea Make Loa
by HipsterMaybe
Summary: Title loosely translates to "Trick of Death". When Steve finds Danny dead during a raid, he must deal with the fact that his best friend is gone. But when Danny turns out to be not so dead, it's up to Five-0 to solve the mystery. I don't own anything. Rated T to be safe. Some language, but nothing bad.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! I will try to update as frequently as possible, but I am working on two stories at once and I am also helping my sister move. Sorry if I'm a little slow in updating! J**

Steve rounded the corner, gun leading the way. They were searching an abandoned warehouse for suspected arms dealer Freddy Hoshino. So far, there had been no sign of Hoshino anywhere, but Steve was still cautious. Especially since Danny had gone radio silent ten minutes ago. He, Chin, and Kono had all tried repeatedly to get an answer from the detective, but all they got was static. The warehouse was huge so they had all take separate areas to search. As much as Steve tried to tell himself that Danny was a good cop, very capable in a fight, and was wearing a bullet proof vest, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. They were all closing in on Danny's location now, but Steve was the closest. Moving through the shadows with practiced silence, he crept along until there was only one room left to check. Soundlessly, he entered the final room and was greeted with the sight of Danny's much too still form lying on the floor. A large pool of blood surrounded his head and next to it lay a bloody metal pipe. His chest was unmoving. Steve dashed to his partner's side while pressing his finger to the headset.

"Officer down! No pulse, head injury. I need a medic in the back room in the northwest corner of the warehouse immediately. Be warned, suspect may still be on location." He fell to his knees next to Danny's side and pressed two fingers to his throat. His heart clenched when he felt nothing. He placed an ear above Danny's mouth. He wasn't breathing either. "Come on, Danno. Don't do this." he pleaded. He removed Danny's vest and began to give him CPR. After every cycle, he'd check for a pulse, but would never find one. Chin and Kono entered the room and also came to kneel at Danny's side.

"Where's the damn medics?" Steve shouted in anguish as he continued to pound mercilessly found on his friend's chest. A part of him knew that Danny was gone. It had been long and Chin realized this.

"Steve…" He gently placed a hand on the commander's shoulder, but Steve shook him off and continued the compressions.

"No! He's not gone. He can't be! I can save him Chin! Come on partner! Don't do this!" The medics arrived and it took four officers to pull Steve from Danny's lifeless body. The medics shook their heads.

"I'm sorry. He's gone. Head injury, probably." Kono shook her head in denial.

"No…he can't be." Chin remained silent, keeping his grief firmly shut away for later. He held Steve around the shoulders.

"God, Danny! I'm so sorry! I should've been with you! This is all my fault. What am I gonna tell Grace, huh? I promised her that I would protect her Danno." Steve fell to his knees, shaking. Danny was gone.

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"How long has he been like that?" Kono asked.

"Since we brought him in. He's refused to leave the body." Max answered.

"Danny was like a brother to him. To all of us really, but for Steve. He's not going to take this well." Chin said, nodding to Steve who was standing next to Danny's body, just staring at him. "So, do you know what…what killed him?

"I can't be certain, as I haven't performed an autopsy yet. I have been hesitant to force Commander McGarrett to leave him. I am aware of how close they are. Were. However, I believe that he died as a result of the head trauma. He probably suffered intracranial bleeding. If it is any consolation, it looks like he was struck from behind, so he most likely didn't feel a thing."

"God, poor Grace. I heard Steve went over there before he came here."

"Yeah, Rachel and Grace took it as I expected. Horribly. They were inconsolable. What really pissed me off was how smug Stan looked."

"He's such an ass! Chin, how are we gonna do this without Danny?"

"I don't know Cuz. I really don't."

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Steve stood there, his hands on Danny's arm. His usually animated hands were still and cold. His face, usually so full of life, was slack and unmoving. His body was covered in a sheet. Telling Rachel and grace had broken him, but he owed it to them, to Danny to be the one to tell them. Grace had sobbed at him, begging him to tell her this was all a joke, but he couldn't. Just like he couldn't save Danny.

"Why did it have to be you? Of all people, why you? I would trade places in a heartbeat, Danno. You deserved time to watch Grace grow up and to be at her graduation and her wedding. I wouldn't be missed. I have no one. Just you. And now you're gone. You were the only person I'd ever gotten close to. Since my mom died, or faked her death I guess, I've pushed everyone away, but you pushed back and somehow ended up becoming my best friend. How am I supposed to do this without you, huh? How am I gonna go on with you gone? Believe it or not, Danny, but you weren't alone on this island. You had family here!" He was so consumed with grief that he didn't notice Danny's supposedly dead body begin to warm up. And then to move. Danny let out a low groan and his hand twitched. Steve stumbled back in fear.

"What the hell? Steve? Where am I? And why the hell am I _naked?"_

"Holy shit. I'm losing it. I've gone crazy." Steve muttered to himself. Danny was shocked by how awful his partner looked. He was pale and disheveled. He had dark circles beneath his red-rimmed eyes and he was shaking. What struck him the most was how genuinely terrified he looked. Danny took in his surroundings. Was he really in the ME's office?

"Steve? You alright buddy? You wanna explain why I'm in the morgue."

"Nononononono! You're dead! I watched you die!"

"Steve, what the hell are you talking about? Are you on something, 'cause you look like it right now. Chin! Oh thank God. Maybe you can explain what's going on and talk some sense into this moron." Chin and Kono had come rushing in at the sounds of Steve's anguished shouts. He was now mumbling under his breath and he looked truly crazy. Danny was surprised to see identical looks of shock on the cousin's faces.

"How…are you alive? They pronounced you dead…" Kono said, still trying to process the scene before her.

"What are you talking about? I am very clearly not dead."

"Danny…what's the last thing you remember?" Chin asked slowly, hardly daring to believe his eyes.

"We were at the warehouse looking for Hoshino. Why?"

"Because you stopped answering us on the headset and when Steve found you, you had no pulse. He tried CPR for like 20 minutes, but the paramedics pronounced you dead on the scene, probably from head trauma." Kono said in disbelief.

"So that's why everything hurts. So, umm how am I alive right now?"

"I don't know. Max hadn't done an autopsy yet. How do you feel?"

"Well thank God for that. And besides the probably bruised ribs, just a mother of a headache. Nothing bad though…is he okay?" Danny asked, pointing to his obviously unstable partner. He was still pale and shaking and muttering a string of unintelligible words.

"I don't know. He took it very hard." Kono walked over to Steve and placed a hand on his arm. "Steve?"

"Kono, I've lost it. I'm seeing him Kono! He's talking and moving! He's dead but he's not!"

"Steve, I need you to listen to me. Chin and I see the same thing. I don't know what's going on, but the important thing is that Danny is alive. You have to believe me."

"No…I watched him die! I tried but nothing worked…he was just so still. Danny tried to stand up, but he had to have Chin help him. Wrapping the sheet around Danny's waist, they made their way over to the corner Steve had retreated to.

"Steve, look at me partner. I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I'm not dead okay? You feel that?" he asked, placing his hands on Steve's quaking shoulders. "I'm here. You're not crazy. I'm alive. Now if we're gonna figure this out together, I'm gonna need you to get that big brain of yours back on track okay?"

"You're…alive?" Steve asked, waiting for Danny to disappear.

"Absolutely. I'm not goin' anywhere buddy." Steve stared at him for a moment, then pulled him into a tight hug, laughing an odd relieved chuckle.

"Oh my God. I thought I'd lost you. I really thought you were gone this time. We all did."

"Well, I'm not. And you can stop crushing me."

"Oh, sorry!"

"It's fine. Jeez, before you looked like you'd seen a ghost."

"I thought I had. That does raise the question, though. What the hell just happened?"

**Thoughts? I'd love to hear 'em! Let me know what you think! I'll try to update as soon as possible J**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2! Thanks for the reviews, you make my day! And I must apologize for all the errors in that last chapter. I wrote that at like 2 am. Very sorry!**

Steve sat in the hard chair of the hospital waiting room, waiting to hear news on Danny. He felt drained. He was still getting use to the fact that Danny was indeed not dead. Danny had seemed okay for the most part, but they wanted to get his head injury checked out and also to draw blood samples to determine the cause of Danny's death like state. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and caught a whiff of salt water. Kono. He raised his head from his hands and looked up into her concerned face. She held out a cup of coffee and he took it, needing all the energy he could get.

"You okay, boss? You don't look so good."

"Yeah…I'm good. It's just a lot to deal with I guess. Sorry for my little episode back there." He grinned in embarrassment.

"It's cool. We were all kind of in shock. Chin will be back soon. He went to tell Rachel and Grace."

"God, I totally forgot. I should have done that."

"It's okay, boss. Your head wasn't exactly in the right place."

"I suppose that's true. Grace has been through enough."

"Well, at least Danny's okay now."

"Thank God for that." He smiled at her. What would he do without her calm presence? Chin walked into the waiting room.

"Hey guys. Any word on Danny yet?"

"No, doc's still with him. Grace okay?"

"She took this whole thing a lot like you. She's still upset, but better. Rachel wasn't mad, just worried. She made me promise to call as soon as we knew something. Stan just looked disappointed."

"God, he's an asshole." Kono said.

"If Grace hadn't been there, I would've slapped that look off his face." Steve smile a little. Danny's doctor walked into the room.

"Who's here for Detective Williams?"

"Us." The three of them chorused in unison.

"How is he?" Steve asked.

"He has a pretty severe migraine from the concussion, but that's to be expected with the hit he received and the drug administered. We found traces of Tetrodotoxin in his blood, which would account for the death-like state. As I understand, the ME never examined him. They might have been able to tell he was still alive, but otherwise he was for all intents and purposes, dead. We found the injection site near his head wound."

"Wouldn't that much CPR have stimulated some response?"

"Usually it would have, but he was given a very large dose. Probably only a direct injection of adrenaline straight to the heart would've gotten a response."

"Is he going to be okay?" Kono asked.

"He should be. The drug has no lasting effects besides headaches and the concussion, while serious, will heal. We didn't find any fractures or bleeding, but we're going to keep him overnight for observation. I can take you to see him if you like. But you'll have to promise to be quiet. He has a pretty severe migraine." They followed the doctor down the halls and to a Danny's room. The lights were off and Danny lay on the bed. They entered quietly so they wouldn't disturb him.

"I know you're there." Danny said tiredly.

"How? Were totally silent!" Chin asked.

"Who else would smell like that much bad hospital coffee?" Danny smiled, but his eyes remained shut.

"How do you feel, partner?" Steve asked quietly. He was glad to hear Danny's voice.

"Head hurts. But no worse than the Sarin thing I guess. You okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for…you know."

"No problem buddy." Chin's phone rang and he excused himself to take the call."

"Did somebody tell Grace?"

"Yeah. But they're gonna stay back at the house until we catch whoever did this, just to be safe." Kono answered.

"That's okay." Danny's face pinched as the pain in his head flared again.

"You know what that button's for, right Danny?" Steve asked, pointing to the morphine release button.

"I'm loopy enough already, thanks. Morphine affects me weird."

"Well, you shouldn't have to suffer through this. I'll talk to the doctor and see if I can't get them to give you something else."

" 'kay." was all he could manage. Chin re-entered the room.

"That was Duke. Apparently someone just broke into the morgue. They held Max at gunpoint."

"Is he okay?!" Kono asked, worried for the eccentric medical examiner.

"Yeah, he's fine, but get this. According to Max, they were looking to steal a body. Danny's body. When they realized it wasn't there, they split."

"This can't be a coincidence. You think this is Hoshino's men?" Kono asked.

"Could be, but it doesn't feel right. Hoshino was small time. This is way too well thought out for him."

"I agree. So who is it then?" Chin wondered.

"I'm gonna guess it was someone who wanted to talk to me in private." Danny chimed in.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"Think about it. Why go to all the trouble to fake my death? Those people who showed up at the morgue for me, weren't after a dead body. They wanted to talk to me, but I'm always surrounded by you guys and my new apartment has a security system. How better to get me alone and to ensure that I couldn't fight back? Only they didn't count on Steve stickin' around. I bet if you looked at the security tapes, you'd find them waiting out back until they saw your car leave. You were parked out back, where they most likely were. The ambulance would've parked out front so they couldn't have known I had woken up yet." They all stared at him.

"Damn." Steve said at last. "Even concussed and high on pain meds, he still managed to make us look dumb."

"S'what I do. Deee-tec-tivvvve." He gave a smile, eyes still closed.

"Chin, Kono, why don't you look into those guys who went after Danny. I'll stay here and make sure no one comes back for him."

"Sure thing boss." The cousins left, and Steve turned to his partner.

"You. Time to rest."

"Kay. Night Steven."

"Night Danno." And with that, Danny was out like a light. That left Steve alone with his thoughts.

**Dun dun daaaahhh! Keep reading and reviewing! Much more to come. You guys are awesome!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, today is a hard day. My sister moves out on her own. So instead of concentrating on my emotions, I'll just put them into this story. Enjoy!**

The next morning, Danny was released from the hospital. They made their way to Steve's truck. Danny paused.

"You alright, Danny?"

"Let's just take a moment to appreciate that you are actually driving your own car." Steve smiled. He was glad to hear Danny complain. He was still getting used to the emotional ups and downs of the last couple days.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it. You're cars still at HPD, but as soon as I can, I'll pick it up for you." They drove in companionable silence for a while. Then Danny realized something.

"Steven?"

"Yes Daniel?"

"This is not the way to my place."

"There's those stunning detective skills. We're going to my place."

"God, not this again. What is your problem with my living arrangements? I even got a new, nicer apartment!" Though Steve would never say so, he welcomed the rant. It was a step back to normalcy.

"It's not that I have a problem with your place. But my place is safer. After a serious head injury, you're not up to defending yourself if those guys come for you. I just got you back Danny, I'm not losing you again." Danny thought he heard the tension in his friend's voice. Every now and then, he would catch Steve throwing covert glances at him as if he was afraid that Danny might drop dead any second. He could see how bad this whole thing had affected Steve. Although it was a bossy and presumptuous move on Steve's part, Danny decided to drop it. If Super SEAL needed to feel like he was doing something, Danny guessed he could manage that.

"Okay, okay. I'll need to stop by my place for clothes, though."

"Taken care of. Chin and Kono grabbed some already and they're back at my place now." They arrived at his house around noon. Chin and Kono were in the kitchen.

"There's my favorite Haole!" Said Kono, hugging him and placing a light kiss on his cheek.

"Hey brah. Hungry?" Chin asked. Danny didn't have much of an appetite, but he figured if he didn't eat, he'd have to put up with their concerned stares and pestering all night. Not that he could blame them for it. He didn't realize how much his death would affect his friends until now.

"Sure. Thanks Chin." Chin gave him a big smile. It was good to see him happy again, after Malia.

"You, sit down. Doc said you're supposed to rest. I Tivo'd the Jets game so you're going to sit here and watch." Said Steve, forcing him onto the couch. It was strange having them all wait on him, but again, he wouldn't deny them. The night passed and Chin and Kono went home, leaving him alone with Steve. The man was giving him that same, half-crazy look he had back in the morgue. Danny sighed.

"Alright, Steven. What's eatin' at you? You've been looking at me like I'm gonna croak all day."

"Danny, it was so real. There was so much blood. I tried. I really did, but nothing worked. I really thought you were gone."

"I'm sorry man." Danny wasn't exactly sure what to say. How do you comfort someone over your own death? "Hey. I'm not, though. It wasn't real. I'm not going anywhere, ok?"

"You know what the worst part was? Realizing that I was alone. Don't get me wrong, I love Chin and Kono to death, but you're the only person I've ever told all this stuff to. I've had buddies in the Navy before, sure. But you learn not to get attached because tomorrow they might be gone and you can't let yourself fall apart... No, never mind. The very worst part was Grace. I failed her, Danny. After the whole Sarin thing, she made me promise that, no matter what, I'd keep her Danno safe. You can't imagine how awful it was telling her that you had died on my watch."

"Steve, this was not your fault. I'm not dead. You left me alone because you knew that I can handle myself in these situations. That was my choice to go off alone on that raid. You gotta stop blaming yourself Steve. I'm okay. We'll get the people who did this. In the meantime, just remember. I'm alive. I'm okay." Danny gave him a warm smile.

"Thanks Danny." Steve said, voice thick with emotion.

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A week later, Danny was back at work. They had gone through every resource trying to locate the morgue thieves' car, but nothing had turned up. Until that day. They were in the middle of looking through Danny's old case records to see if they could find a motive for his attempted kidnapping when Steve's cell rang.

"McGarrett"

"Steve, its Duke. We found that car you've been looking for. The one used in the morgue hold up. You want us to move on it?"

"No, we'll be there soon." Danny looked up.

"Who was that?"

"Duke. They found the car." The car, a black Ford Focus, was parked in alley behind an old grocery store.

"We haven't touched anything yet." Duke said. "Good to see you back, Danny." He said, patting his back warmly.

"Good to be back. Let's get the crime scene guys to check for prints. Steve, you wanna pop the trunk?" Steve went to the driver's side and jimmied the door open. He hit the trunk button and it it opened, revealing a large red stain.

"We got blood." Danny said. "Looks like a lot of it. I doubt whoever was in here is still alive." Steve nodded. After a bit more examination, they let the crime scene guys take over. Two hours later, the finger prints they lifted came back.

Pedro Fuentes…" Steve said slowly. They were standing in Steve's office. "Why does that sound familiar?" Danny had gone pale.

"Oh my God…" he breathed.

"Danny, you heard of this guy?"

"Steve, remember when those FBI agents were tailing Matt? The drug dealer they were after was Fuentas!"

"I remember now. You don't think….Matt's involved, do you?"

"I don't know. It's been almost three years. I haven't heard anything about him." At that moment, Kono walked into the office.

"Guys, the blood results just came back. Danny, I'm so sorry. It's Matt's blood. The….the ME doesn't think he could have survived that amount of blood loss. I'm so sorry." Danny felt his knees go weak and he felt Steve take his arm and lead him to the couch.

"Why Matty? What did you do?" Danny whispered brokenly. Steve knelt in front of him and placed his hands on Danny's shoulders.

"We're gonna get these guys, okay? We'll get 'em buddy." Danny nodded. So this is why they wanted to talk to him. _God, Matt. How am I supposed to tell Mom? Or Pop? What about our sisters?_ Danny knew that this was always a possibility, but he'd avoided dwelling on it. Now, it was a reality.

"C'mon." Danny said, standing. "Let's go find these bastards."

**Good? Bad? Let me know! Tell me what you think.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Been a while since I've updated this one. Sorry! Well, now that my sister is all moved into her new place, I can concentrate on updating for ya'll.**

Danny was not one to let the world know what he was think or feeling. To most people, they would find that statement absurd since Danny voiced his opinion on everything. Only a few people could understand that while he told you everything, he really told you nothing. He had to be peeled back a layer at a time and when something like this happened, more layers were added. Danny was silent. He would have time to mourn later, he told himself. Right now he had to find Fuentes and whoever else was responsible for his brother's death. He now understood Steve's obsession with finding Hesse after the murder of his father. Danny locked all his emotions down. There would be time later when he could bring them out, but now was not that time. He was hunched over his desk, carefully reading through Fuentes' file that Catherine had forwarded them. They were all combing through all the intel they had on Fuentes, Matt, and the morgue robbers. So far, they had nothing. They had exhausted every resource and it told them nothing new. He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. The letters had blurred in thick lines on the paper and he couldn't concentrate anymore. He must have read that file at least twenty times. He closed the manila folder and opened up his email to see if his friends in the FBI had anything new on Matt. His heart nearly stopped when he saw a new message from his brother. It was a video file. He opened the message and clicked play. Matt's disheveled and tired image came on the screen.

"Hey big brother." He said with a ghost of a smile. "I know I've screwed up these last few years, but I'm ready to make this right. I'm coming to Hawaii to turn myself in. I need your help though. They're not happy with me leaving and I need to find a way where I can come in safely to testify against them. These are bad guys, Danny. They've killed so many people. I'll accept whatever punishment but I want these men behind bars. I don't know how long it will take for this email to send. The area I'm in is all deep forest. I just hope it sends in time. I'll come by your place at five p.m. on Tuesday the twenty first. We can talk then. I'll tell you all I know about them. I'm sorry for all I've put you through. I'm trying to make this right." The message eneded, leaving Danny stunned. Steve knocked lightly on the window before entering Danny's office.

"How you holdin' up?" He asked. He not only meant physically, but he could see the mess of emotions Danny was feeling. Losing a brother like that…Steve couldn't imagine it. When Danny remained silent, Steve grew more concerned. "Danny, what's wrong?" Danny didn't speak. He just turned his monitor towards Steve and replayed the video. When it had ended, they both sat together in stunned silence for a moment before Danny spoke.

"He was trying. He was trying to do the right thing."

"I'm so sorry, Danny." Steve said, trying to convey as much empathy as possible. Danny was the closest thing he had to a brother and he couldn't imagine losing him like that. "We'll get these sons of bitches, don't you worry." Danny nodded, then turned to Steve as a thought struck him.

"Matty said he'd be going to my place…I haven't been home in days…"

"You're thinking that's where they grabbed him."

"Yeah. And I know it's a long shot, but what if there's, I don't know, some evidence there?"

"No, I think you're right. We should go check it out."

They pulled up outside of Danny's apartment. As soon as he got to the door, he knew something was wrong. The door was open a crack and Danny could see blood smears on the knob. Silently, they moved into the apartment. It was a mess. Things lie in pieces all over and blood was smeared on virtually every surface. Danny was never one to get squeamish at the sight of blood, but it had never been his own brother's blood decorating the walls.

"Oh God…" he breathed brokenly. His fragile control was slipping. Steve was equally shocked by the sheer amount of blood that splattered the room. He glanced at Danny. /his face had lost all color and he was visibly shaking. He placed a gentle hand on Danny's shoulder. He was about to ask if Danny was alright, but he bit his tongue. It was obvious to anyone that he was not alright.

"Why don't you go take a moment outside. I'll call CSU and look around." He steered Danny towards the door. Outside, Danny barely made it to the bench in the small courtyard before his legs gave out. This was not a simple shoot and go. It had been messy and Matt had most certainly suffered. So lost was Danny in his own thoughts that he did not notice the black van pull up, same make and model as the morgue robbers. All he felt was the sickening thud of a Glock smacking his temple and then darkness.

When Danny awoke, he was still in the van. He tried to move his limbs, but they were ziptied together. They drove for about ten more minutes, then came to a stop. He was yanked to his feet by brutal hands and dragged into an old house. They descended several flights of stairs into the cellar, with Danny tripping the way down. Without a word, he was roughly thrown into an empty stone room. Immediately, his nose was assaulted with the sickeningly sweet scent of decay. In the corner, he saw a body. It was Matt's. He crawled over to his little brother's mangled body. The bruises made him nearly unrecognizable. It was clear that he had been tortured. Teeth and fingernails were missing and burns and bruises covered his body. His jaw was slack and his cloudy eyes were open, staring at the ceiling. Tears spilled down Danny's cheeks as he gently closed Matt's eyes. Regardless of the overall grossness of his brother's body, Danny heaved his brother onto his lap and rocked him, all the while muttering brokenly.

"I'm so sorry Matty. I'm so sorry."

**Short chapter, I know. But…I just got my sister hooked on the series and she wants me to explain a few things to her. I'll update soon. Tell me what ya think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Mwuahahaha…what have I done to Danny now? I'm so evil. Sorry I haven't updated in a few days!**

Steve exited Danny's apartment and searched for his partner. No Danny. He forced the lid on his panic down, thinking of all the possibilities. He checked the car. No Danny. He drove around the block in case he had gone for a walk. No Danny. He checked everywhere. No Danny. He walked past the bench in the courtyard and something caught his eye. His heart dropped when he saw it was Danny's badge. He found a few drops of blood around it. He followed the trail and it came to an end where he presumed Danny had been forced into a car. Struggling against the rising fear, he called Chin and Kono and told them to come right away. He did not get Danny back only to lose him again.

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Later, although Danny didn't know how much, the two men were back. They tore him from Matt's body and dragged him to another room in the cellar and beat him until he felt ribs break. This room was colder and he shivered as he was strapped into a hard metal chair. The two men left as silently as they'd come, and a new man came in to replace them. Pedro Fuentes was a handsome man with thick black hair and a good physique. He stepped forward.

"You know, you look nothing like your brother, Detective." He smiled. Danny glared back at him.

"What do you want, Fuentes?" Danny asked icily.

"Ahh, you know who I am! Well that eliminates awkward introductions. I'll get straight the point Detective. I want to know how much Mathew told you about his work with us."

"He didn't tell me anything. He didn't get a chance to. You guys killed him first." Danny replied flatly.

"I was afraid you'd say that. You see, Matt told us that even if we killed him, the truth would still get out. You're the only one he's had contact with. Now, we can do this the easy way. You tell us, we shoot you in the head, and go about our business. Or, we can do this the hard way. We torture you until you talk, we shoot you in the stomach, watch you bleed, and then kill your family and the rest of Five-0. You decide."

"You son of a bitch! I don't know anything! Matt and I never got a chance to talk."

"The hard way it is, then." Fuentes snapped his finger and one of his men rolled in a cart covered with a sheet. Fuentes ripped off the sheet and began to examine the items on the cart.

"Hmmm, this is one of my favorites." He removed a cloth and leaned to one of his men to tell him something Danny couldn't hear. The next thing he knew, a wet cloth covered his face and water was poured over it. He gasped and tried to breathe, but nothing but water entered his mouth and nose. The cloth was ripped away and Danny heaved in breath after wheezy breath.

"Now, that can't have been fun. You ready to talk, detective?"

"G-go sc-screw your s-self. I d-don't know anything." He spluttered out around choking breaths. Fuentes sighed heavily.

"Again, Marco." They repeated the process countless times, with the same outcome.

"I must say, you've surprised me Danny. But, waterboarding is so messy and clearly not working. I'm going to let Evardo have his fun with you. Evardo is trained in…making people talk." Fuentes said with an evil grin as he leaned against the wall to watch. Evardo, it turned out, favored needles. He used long ones, almost like the ones used in acupuncture. He had ripped Danny's shirt off and every time Danny didn't answer his question, he inserted a needle in Danny's neck or back, hitting nerves and sending spikes of white hot pain to every nerve center in his body it seemed. He screamed as the his body lit up with pain.

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**5**

**0**

Steve drove like a maniac. Chin and Kono had used the security cameras to find out which car Danny was in and to find the owner. The driver's license of the car's owner said Max Gonzales, but Steve knew it was Fuentes. They dug into Gonzales' records and found that he owned an old house near the jungle. That had to be where he had taken Danny. He glanced in his rearview mirror and saw Kono's red Cruze with her and Chin inside. They arrived at the house and Steve entered noiselessly, gun leading the way. Chin and Kono followed him, equally as silent. They cleared the main floor, then the upstairs. It looked uninhabited. Steve was about to punch a wall in frustration when he heard it. It was muffled, but it was definitely a scream. Danny's scream. Steve could tell from his partner's voice that he was in excruciating pain. He looked at the others, then found the door to the cellar. They hadn't checked it yet. The screams rose in volume with every step they took. Then, they stopped.

**H**

**5**

**0**

Just as Evardo was about to ask him the same question he had asked him over and over before, he froze.

"You hear that boss?" Fuentes strained to listen. There were heavy footsteps upstairs.

"Shut him up." Fuentes commanded. Evardo slipped a needle into Danny's neck and his screams died in his throat. He couldn't move. He was still in agony, but he couldn't vocalize it. Through the haze of pain, he realized that those footsteps were probably his team, come to rescue him. Then he heard the shots of several weapons at once and then…silence.

**H**

**5**

**0**

Steve silently signaled the cousins to stop before the entrance to the cellar. He heard voices coming towards him. They flattened themselves against the wall and waited until Fuentes' men came up the stairs. The door swung open and Steve, Chin, and Kono fired simultaneously at the small group of men. They all dropped dead within seconds. They moved forward without a sound. They saw a shadow in the hall. Only one. Steve motioned the others to stay back. As he got closer, Fuentes came into view. Without a second thought, he aimed and fired. Fuentes went down with a shot to the head. They surged forward into the room. Steve gasped as he took in Danny's sopping, bruised, and bloody form. What horrified him the most were the needles protruding from his partner's neck and back. Danny was completely still.

"Steve, what hell are those things?" Kono asked, the same terrified expression on her face. Chin looked to him as well.

"I've seen this before. It's a torture technique, not very common though. It's very difficult to do. The needles are inserted in groups of nerves. But this one," he pointed to one in the center of Danny's neck, "this one is caused paralysis. He's got to be in awful pain, but he's stuck like this."

"Can you get them out?" Chin asked.

"I think so. I'll need to if I'm going to evaluate the rest of him. He can't be moved until those are out. Chin, I'll need you to hold the flashlight so I can see what I'm doing. Kono, I need you to go call EMS. There's probably service in the hall. Kono returned a minute later, a stricken look on her face.

"Kono, how long on that ambulance-" he stopped, taking in Kono's expression. "What's wrong?"

"Ambulance is thirty minutes out, boss, but I…I found Matt's body." They all let that soak in. Steve looked into Danny's eyes. They were the only part of him that showed his emotions. They couldn't move, but they were filled with pain, emotional and physical.

"I'm sorry, Danno. I'll get these out in a sec, ok?" Steve set to work. With steady hands, he drew the first needle slowly out of Danny's neck. Instantly, his posture drooped and he groaned in pain. Steve took his pule and listened to his breathing. Both were fast and weak.

"Alright buddy, you're doing great. I'm gonna get the rest out now. Just hang in there." Repeating the process, Steve worked until every needle was out. When he removed the last one, Danny sagged forward and the chair nearly tipped. Steve grabbed his shoulder and held him up while Chin and Kono freed his hands and feet. When he was free, they eased their barely conscious friend onto the floor where Steve began to check him over. First thing he noticed was then Danny was freezing. Shock, he guessed. Whether it was from the pain or the strong possibility of internal bleeding based on the bruising and rigidity of Danny's abdomen, Steve didn't know. He noticed the thin sheet in the corner near the cart of torture tools.

"Chin, hand me that sheet." They tucked it around Danny's body in an effort to keep him warm. It was light, but better than nothing. Steve went on to check his head wound. It had stopped bleeding, but it looked nasty. Grabbing his penlight, he shined it in Danny's eyes. His pupils were uneven and slow to respond. Concussion for sure. Steve looked around the room and saw the bucket. Putting that together with Danny's soaking body, Steve realized what they had done and felt sick. Chin caught his look.

"What's wrong?"

"They waterboarded him." He said quietly. He had been waterboarded before and it had been awful. It's not like in the movies where the hero always stands up to the bad guys and remains silent throughout. No, even the toughest of men screamed out whatever they knew just to make it stop. He checked Danny's breathing and realized that it was a bit wheezy. Water in the lungs, most likely. Danny was shivering uncontrollably now. Steve really needed to get him warm or else he'd get sick, which he did not need on top of his other injuries. But he couldn't move him with the likelihood of internal bleeding. Kono noticed this.

"I'll go search the house for blankets. I think I saw one upstairs." He nodded and left the room. Suddenly Danny let out a groan of pain.

"Easy Danno. We got you. Help's on the way." Danny shivered harder.

"S-steve?" he forced out between chattering teeth. It came out weaker than he'd intended.

"I'm right here, Danny. How do you feel? Can you tell me what hurts? And none of this 'I'm fine' bullshit either."

"C-cold…" he gasped out, voice little more than a whisper.

"We're working on it. Kono's getting a blanket. Can you tell me what hurts?" Steve asked again.

"H-head…neck…b-back…stomach…hurts to b-breathe." Steve's eyes clouded with concern again.

"Ambulance should be here soon. We'll get you fixed up, don't you worry."

"Fuentes?" Danny slurred. Steve had to strain to hear his voice now. He had gotten so weak. He was still ice cold, but he had stopped shivering.

"He's dead. All of them are."

"Good…bastard killed Matty." Steve felt a pang of sympathy for his friend. He wondered if Danny had seen the body. Kono raced in, arms loaded with moth-eaten blankets. Steve took them and they all worked to cocoon Danny in blankets. The ambulance was still twenty minutes out. Danny wasn't getting warmer. Steve tried to massage his finger to keep the blood flowing, but they were like in in his hands. Steve watched the Detective's strength leave him slowly. His eyes eventually became too weak to stay open. He held two fingers to Danny's wrist, ready to act if his heart stopped. With one minute to go until the ambulance arrived, Danny's breathing stopped along with his heart. Steve acted immediately, training kicking in, but emotion coloring his actions. They ripped away the blankets. Kono forced air into Danny's lungs while Steve pounded on his partner's chest with hopefully lifesaving compressions. Chin ran outside to direct the EMTs. Danny wasn't responding. His lips and fingers were blue and his face was whiter than paper. The medics came and pried Steve off him. With two tries of the defibrillators, they brought Danny back. He was quickly loaded into the ambulance, Steve seated beside him. Chin drove Steve's car back and Kono took hers.

**Long chapter this time. Well…long for me I guess. I hope you liked it! Tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, I just re-read the chapter I posted last night (or this morning depending on how you look at it). I am so sorry! There were so many spelling and grammatical errors! That's what happens when a Hawaii Five-0 marathon is on and you try to write at the same time. Sorry!**

It was the ambulance ride from hell. Steve was no doctor, but he understood enough of what they were saying to piece together the grim puzzle. In short, Danny was weakening. He could no longer breathe on his own, so one of the medics squeezed air into his lungs from the Ambu-bag. He was bleeding badly, but there was nothing they could do since it was internal. Steve could have worked with an external wound. Those were a simple matter of applying pressure and keeping it steady. This was different. It was a long ride. Thirty minutes to be exact. In those thirty minutes, Danny seized twice and coded once more. Steve was beyond terrified. Memories of giving Danny CPR only days ago still stung like fresh wounds. Now he was losing Danny for real. They made it to the hospital with Danny more or less alive. He was rushed through the ER and into emergency surgery within a minute of his arrival. Steve felt someone take his arms and lead him to a chair to wait. His shock and fear must've shown on his face because Chin and Kono knelt before him, eyes reflecting their leader's terror.

"Steve?" Chin asked gently. He knew trying to shake the answers he needed out of the barely coping SEAL would only result in said man's mental walls going up. "What happened?" he continued.

"He seized. Twice. And we lost him again in the ambulance…longer this time. It took four tries to get him back." He said in a shaky voice. Tears leaked from Kono's eyes.

"I spoke to Max. He's going to get Matt's body. I figured it's what Danny would have wanted…" She trailed off.

"Thank you, Kono. I know that's what he'd want." Steve sent her a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. They lapsed into fearful silence as they waited for a doctor to come and tell them if Danny was even still alive. The long, drawn out minutes turned into long, drawn out hours. Seven to be precise. Then, a tired looking old man in rumpled scrubs found them.

"Five-0, I assume?" The man asked in a voice with a light Hispanic accent. They nodded. "I'm Dr. Sanchez."

"How is he?" Steve asked, almost fearing the answer.

"I won't lie to you. It's bad. He coded twice more on the table. If my information is correct, that's four times his heart has stopped. This worries me. There may be damage to the heart, not to mention to the brain. He's repeatedly gone without oxygen. This can cause problems we won't know about until he wakes up. If he wakes up." Kono looked up from her lap.

"_If _he wakes up?" she asked angrily, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry Miss, but I said I wouldn't lie to you and I meant it. Daniel is in the fight of his life right now. The combined stress of the torture, head injury, and massive internal blood loss have weakened him almost to the point of no return. The surgery to repair the tears to his liver, spleen, and a few arteries was long and exhausting for him. He is still in shock and very weak. We currently have him on a ventilator as he is not able to breathe on his own. His core body temperature is still well below normal range as a result of diminished circulation from blood loss. I don't tell you this to scare you, but to prepare you for the possibility that he may not last the night. And, even if he does, he may never be the same. I am an optimistic man, but right now, it's all up to Mr. Williams if he is going to survive or not." They all stared back at the doctor in shock and fear. Sanchez gave them a nod and left with the promise of sending a nurse to bring them Danny's room when he was settled in the ICU. Normally, they would only be allowed a fifteen minute visit, if that. However, Sanchez realized that this team was Danny's family and that it might benefit him to be surrounded by people who loved him. He had arranged for extra chairs and a couple extra cots to be moved into the room for the team. The nurse came and they followed her silently. The moment they entered Danny's room, their blood turned to ice and lead dropped into their stomachs. Danny was barely recognizable under all the tubes and wires and extra blankets. He was completely still, which, considering how Danny was always in motion, seemed wrong on so many levels. They took up seats around his bed and watched him, just to make sure he didn't slip away unnoticed.

Three days passed in much the same way. Danny's circulation was up and his temperature was normal, but otherwise, he had not improved. They all sat there, watching. They took shifts sleeping. Rachel and Grace had joined them and now they were all camped out in the small room, hoping for a miracle. On the fourth day, Sanchez removed the respirator, saying that an oxygen mask would suffice and wouldn't run the risk of causing dependence. Danny breathed on his own. By the fifth day, Rachel took a thoroughly exhausted Grace to Steve's house to rest. Rachel refused to go home after a fight with Stan over her being "allowed" to visit Danny. Chin was asleep in one of the cots and Kono had gone outside to update Danny's family in Jersey. Steve sat next to Danny, exhausted yet wide awake. As he absently held Danny's much to still hand, he heard a change in Danny's breathing. Then, one simple word from his partner that broke his heart.

"Matty…" Danny breathed out weakly. Steve had no idea if Danny was lucid, let alone conscious. He had no idea if Danny was brain damaged or not. However, from Danny's voice, he knew that Danny saw what happened to his brother. He bowed his head.

"I'm so sorry, Danno." He said quietly. "I'll get you through this. I promise."

**Little short, I know. Sorry! I am so tired right now…but I can't go to sleep until the people next door wrap up their wild party. I really hate drunk people…uggg. Anyway, I'll update more tomorrow. For now, I shall shove pillows over my ears.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm back! If you haven't noticed yet, I'll probably alternate each day which of my two current stories I update. I sadly only have time for one chapter a day now. So expect an update usually every other day. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

Danny had lapsed back into silence after his breathy whisper of his brother's name. Max's autopsy report on Matt made him feel worse for Danny about what he'd seen. Steve had contacted Danny's mother, but she was unable to come since Danny's father needed round the clock care from somebody he knew and trusted. Steve's father hadn't lived long enough to succumb to Alzheimer's. He wondered if his mother would. He had tried to contact Danny's sisters, but they were both doctors and had gone to Africa on a humanitarian mission and would be out of contact for at least another two weeks. For now, Rachel, Grace, and Five-0 were his family. Steve never left Danny's bedside. He never left the hospital. Sanchez had allowed him into the staff locker room for showers, eliminating the need to go home. He couldn't leave Danny alone. Not that the others cared any less for Danny. On the contrary, they loved him with all their hearts, but for Steve, it was different. Danny was, _is_, his brother. Since the first case they'd worked, these two seemingly clashing men bonded so tightly, that blood no longer determined what the word brother meant. Steve smiled at the memory of them clinking glasses and having their first civil conversation on his Lanai. They had come so far in such a short time. Steve bowed his head. He had never been much of the diligent religious type, and he didn't really identify with any specific form of Christianity. To him, his religion was simple. It was him and God. He worked his damndest to serve Him and in return, he sent prayers. His prayers were simple. No fancy words or nightly recitations. Sometimes, he would pray for his mother, for Mary Ann, or for his team. Sometimes he would beg the Lord's forgiveness for the lives he had been forced to take and for those he had hurt, no matter how guilty they were. Today, like many other days, he prayed for Danny. At first, his prayers were for Danny to find happiness here in Hawaii, to feel less alone in the world, to feel like he had a home. More recently, he prayed for Danny's life. He made promises to God that he would fulfill without hesitation if Danny woke up and was able to live again and watch his little girl grow up. On the tenth day, Steve's prayers were answered.

"Nghh…" Came Danny's unintelligible moan from the bed. Steve nearly dropped his steaming hot coffee in surprise and elation. He leaned over Danny and grabbed his partner's hand.

"Danno? Can you hear me?" he asked, his hopes slowly rising as Danny's finger closed around his hand. Another garbled sound escaped Danny's lips.

"Come on, partner. Open those eyes." Steve coaxed gently. After a few false starts, Danny's eyes fluttered open for the first time in a long time. Steve felt his hopes rise higher still.

"You with me buddy?" Danny was silent a moment.

"You have a face." Danny said slowly. To the doctors, it would sound like a nonsensical proclamation and they would worry about brain damage. To Steve, it was music to his ears.

"I don't think this one has a name yet." Danny continued groggily. "It's like a mixture of 'the Goof', 'Aneurism', and 'I'm obsessed with something and refuse to sleep until it's over'." Steve's smile grew wider.

"I think you covered all the bases pretty well." Steve paused a moment and grew more serious. "So, what do you remember?"

"Enough. Just, tell me you got Matty out of there and he hasn't been planted in some damn potter's field." Danny said quietly.

"Don't worry. Max took care of him. He's waiting for you to give him a proper send off."

"Thank you." Danny said, trying to convey all of his emotions into those two words. "So how long have I been out? How's my baby girl?"

"Ten _very_ long days. Grace is good. She and Rachel are resting up at my place. She had some big fight with Stan." Danny tried unsuccessfully to hide his smile.

"God…I feel like I've been run over with a truck a gazillion times. I'm a little fuzzy on things towards the end. What's the damage?"

"Well, you're currently healing from severe internal bleeding, a nasty concussion, and lung damage. You scared the hell out of us, Danno. Four times. _Four _times you died on us! And that's not counting the tetrodotoxin thing which I will probably _never_ forget."

"I'm sorry." Danny said quietly.

"Just…don't do it again." Steve said, his face cracking into 'the Goof'.

Three hours later, Sanchez had declared him weak, but recovering and no longer at high risk. He dismissed the chance of brain and heart damage. Steve had called in everyone and they all arrived simultaneously as Sanchez delivered the good news. Grace quickly jumped on the bed and gently yet tightly hugged her father. They all stayed the night again, but this time they stayed up late and talked. They caught Danny up on everything and told stories until they couldn't keep their eyes open. The stress of recent events melted away in the bright glow of happy conversation. In a moment of peace while everyone else was asleep, Steve sent his thanks to God, and then he too, fell into a much needed slumber.

**Probably one more chapter to go. I hope I didn't go too fast with his waking up thing. I also hope I didn't offend you with all the religious talk in this chapter. Sorry if it did, but I won't change how I feel and how I view the characters. Leave me a review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Last chapter! Was this story too short? I may have gone a little fast in places and for that, I apologize. I hope you've all enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**

Steve stood in the airport, searching the crowd for Danny. He had missed him in the week he had been away. Danny had flown to New Jersey for Matt's funeral and Steve knew how hard that must've been. Burying loved ones was never easy. He hoped his friend was okay. Although Danny had mostly healed from the ordeal, Steve still worried about him. Maybe it was just residual fears after the all the near deaths Danny had scared them with recently. He spotted Danny walking through the crowd and he called his name and waved him over.

"Hey. I wasn't expecting you. We got a case or something?" Danny asked.

"What? I can't pick my partner up at the airport to save him the trouble of getting a cab? C'mon, I'll even let you drive the Camaro." Steve said with a smile. He saw how Danny's shoulders were slumped and how tired he seemed. Maybe driving his own car would help.

"Thanks, but I think I'll let you drive. I'm not even going to ask how you drove my car here when _I _have the keys." Danny returned Steve's smile and they walked out into the warm evening air. The car was silent.

"How was Jersey?" Steve asked.

"Good. It was nice to visit my old home and see everything. Mom and Pop were good." He was silent a beat, then continued. "So many people showed up for Matty's funeral. All of his old friends. They said they didn't care what he had done, he was still their friend. It was nice and everything he deserved…not that he deserved to go out like that."

"I'm sorry Danny. I really am. I know how it feels and I know it's hard, but if you need to talk, you have us. Me, Chin, Kono…we'll listen and we'll do whatever it takes to get you through this. You know that right?" Steve said seriously. Danny gave a smile.

"Thanks man." They pulled into Danny's parking lot and they both got out. Though they had originally started the night watching football, it ended with Danny taking Steve up on his offer. Danny talked. Steve listened. And for once, Steve could see the man behind the loud words and the big personality. They talked into the morning, each grateful for each other and the unusual family they had built.

**Short chapter, I know. I hope you liked it! I will definitely write more stories cause I am just full of ideas. You've all been great!**


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